Trump Exonerates Himself three times from the FBI Investigation on the Russia-Trump Connection

[yt_dropcap type=”square” font=”” size=”14″ color=”#000″ background=”#fff” ] O [/yt_dropcap]ne of the most bizarre parts of President Trump’s short letter informing FBI Director Comey that he’d been “terminated” is when Trump notes his appreciation that Comey had informed him “on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation.”

That in itself may be a reason to establish an independent commission on Russia’s role in the 2016 election. As comedian Stephen Colbert commented, it was “like carving your alibi on the murder weapon.”

Informing Trump about an ongoing criminal investigation involving him and his associates would violate longstanding Justice Department policies. The Washington Post reports. A Comey associate was quite specific to the Wall Street Journal: “Comey was careful not to release information to the president about the ongoing probe into Russia’s alleged meddling in the U.S. election because he believed doing so would cross ethical and legal boundaries.”

Mr. Comey told associates before the election and in December that he knew he could be fired but wouldn’t let such fears affect his decision making. He also urged agents investigating Russia’s meddling in the election not to worry about politics or how their probe might affect those in power.

According to several reports — including one in The Washington Post based on “the private accounts of more than 30 officials at the White House, the Justice Department, the FBI, and on Capitol Hill, as well as Trump confidants and other senior Republicans” — Trump fired Comey because he was tired of seeing him on TV talking about Russia and the Trump campaign.

Sooner or later, it will all come out in the wash. Stay tuned, more follies are sure to follow.

Professor Paparella has earned a Ph.D. in Italian Humanism, with a dissertation on the philosopher of history Giambattista Vico, from Yale University. He is a scholar interested in current relevant philosophical, political and cultural issues; the author of numerous essays and books on the EU cultural identity among which A New Europe in search of its Soul, and Europa: An Idea and a Journey. Presently he teaches philosophy and humanities at Barry University, Miami, Florida. He is a prolific writer and has written hundreds of essays for both traditional academic and on-line magazines among which Metanexus and Ovi. One of his current works in progress is a book dealing with the issue of cultural identity within the phenomenon of “the neo-immigrant” exhibited by an international global economy strong on positivism and utilitarianism and weak on humanism and ideals.